cervical cancer vaccine

will your daughter be getting vaccinated? i hear it is being proposed as a law in texas that girls must have the vaccine to enter school. i am up in the air at this time.

Mon. Feb 12, 12:38pm

It's actually an HPV vaccine, some of the strains of which lead to the vast majority of incidences of cervical cancer as well as genital warts. As a young woman myself who was not previously exposed to the virus, I have gotten this vaccine. It is called Gardasil.

Link

Monday, February 12, 2007, 1:28 PM

did your insurance cover the costs?

Monday, February 12, 2007, 1:30 PM

while i think the vaccine is a great idea, and i'm glad something like this is now available i don't think it should be "law" that girls get vaccinated. for one, it would an unfair law that requires females only to be vaccinated. also, i understand why measles, mumps, rubella etc vaccinations are required before going to school, as these childhood diseases become widespread in schools otherwise, but telling parents that you know best for their daughters? no-wrong!

a much better idea would be to have the school nurses come into classrooms at the same age and talk about cervical cancer, and HPV and that the only guranteed ways to avoid it are to abstain from sex or get the vaccine. parents should encourage their daughters to meet w/ a gyno earlier than 18 (even if they are not sexually active), not necessarily for a pelvic exam, but just to talk about their bodies, what they can do to protect themselves, and answer any questions they may have.

i don't think the government has any right in this. what if we find out 10 years from now that all the young girls vaccinated in texas right now develop a complication from the vaccine because of their young age? let gardasil be out on the market used by consenting women for a little longer before we test this out on children!

Monday, February 12, 2007, 1:31 PM

I agree with the 1:31 poster. Cervical cancer and HPV are not things that can become widespread outside of specific contact (HPV), if at all. This isn't a place for the government, this is an individuals decision.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 1:39 PM

i think both boys and girls ahould be vaccinated. boys can carry the disease and pass it on to girls who have not been vaccinated.

would you rather your daughter get HPV or a vaccine?

Monday, February 12, 2007, 1:46 PM

i'd rather make choices about my daughter's health with my daughter and her doctor.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 2:01 PM

has anyone talked to their doctor about this? i have an appointment, but have not yet gone in. i am very curious about what other doctors are saying.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 2:04 PM

1:28 Poster

I paid for the vaccine myself, which was a stretch as a student, but it was about priorities. As I have no children myself, I can't really speak about that aspect of this thread. I came to my doctor asking for it having done research on my own. Tests were done to confirm that I did not already have the virus (blood work and Thin-prep) and the vaccine was administered.

I keep my ear to the ground about this and other things on the horizon regarding women's sexual and reproductive health as I think it's fundamantal to my well-being. I'm fairly appalled how ambivalent and flat-out uneduacated most young woman my age are about this (and I went to public school in the South. Trust me. Any education I've gotten regarding these issues, I've gotten for myself.) If you don't know about HPV, please google it. Statistically speaking, the majority of those who've written on this thread have at least one of its many strains. And please note that genital to genital contact can cause transmission, not just intercourse and in rare instances it can be passed onto a child during birth. Hand warts are also another strain, which obviously has no relation to sexual contact. I think they are likely pushing for the vaccine for prepubescent girls because statistically the time women are most likely infected is during early sexual contact. I presume they've picked an age where they can likely rule out any prior sexual contact. If they couldn't do this, the vaccine would be almost pointless.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 2:53 PM

I think this vaccine is really great and I think all young girls should have it. I participated in a clinical trial on cervical cancer, and the RN told me that up to 70% of women have this virus. You can get this through skin-to-skin contact, so even if a young girl thinks she is playing it safe with safe sex or not having intercourse she can still be exposed. I also got training as an HIV educator, and it's amazing how little information about real sex practices gets through to people.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 3:00 PM

The vaccine is recommended for girls and women up to age 26. As a recently-married 24-year-old, I've decided not to get the vaccine. My gyno told me that she recommended that I get it, as I'm almost too old, so if I get it, I should get it right away, even though there'll certainly be more testing done in the next few years. She told me, though, that if I plan to have children in the next two years, that I should not get the vaccine, as no studies have been done yet regarding any potential implications that the vaccine may have on a developing embryo/fetus. I don't plan to have kids in the next 2 years, but maybe 3 or 4. I asked my general doctor for her opinion as well, and she agreed with me that I should not get the vaccine, as I'm in a monogamous (married) relationship, and there are no studies done regarding pregnancy and the vaccine.

My sister (who's 20), her gyno told her not to get it yet, as she can get it up to age 26, and she should wait to hear about future studies. Her gyno told her to tell me to get the vaccine. But, she doesn't know me, so I'm not relying on her opinion.

My friend who's a 3rd year medical student and wants to be a gynocologist told me the following (and I know, take med students with a grain of salt, they are not doctors yet): Although most cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV, most people who get HPV do not develop cervical cancer. Also, getting annual pap smears is a good way to increase the likelihood of catching cervical cancer in an early stage, where it's more treatable than many other cancers that we do not already screen for every year. She did tell me that most of us have been exposed to HPV; it's incredibly common, but most never develop symptoms at all.

My doctor also told me that often, people are exposed to HPV, and the virus just kind of sits around inside you for years, and never infects you. Or sometimes it'll infect you much later in life. So, for example, I could have gotten the virus from an old boyfriend, years ago, and today I do not have HPV, but the virus is kind of sitting there, waiting. I could then become infected with it several years from now, having only been exposed to it several years ago. I guess it can just sit in there and not do anything for awhile. So, just because you test negative for it, and are in a monogamous relationship, it doesn't mean that you will definitely never get HPV. So, don't use my decision against getting the vaccine for yourself, if you're in a similar situation as me. It's just a personal choice; I'd rather risk getting cervical cancer later in life, rather than risk potentially harming an unborn child. Neither are definite, but both probably have a non-zero chance of occurring.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 3:11 PM

does anyone know why you can't get the vaccine after age 26 ?

Monday, February 12, 2007, 3:28 PM

The vaccine hasn't been tested in people over 26, so insurance won't cover it if you are over 26. Some places will give it if you are over that age, but you have to voice (or sign?) your understanding that there haven't been trials in your age group and pay for it out of pocket.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 7:04 PM

The vaccine is one of the most expensive ever developed; even if you ARE under 26 your insurance may not pay for much of it.

Still, I'd get it if I were under 26 and had to pay for it. Cervical cancer really sucks. Yes, it is "curable" -- but in most cases the cure takes away your ability to have sex, as radiation damages the vagina and it becomes inelastic.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 7:33 PM

Why wouldn't you get your daughter vaccinated? While we'd all like to think and hope that our 14 or whatever age she is isn't having sex, aren't we and she better off getting it? I had cervical cancer back in 1992 and if I had known that a shot would have protected me I would have been all over that. I think its great that schools want the girls to be vaccinated. Come ladies don't you remember what you were doing at 14, 15 and 16?

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 12:32 AM

i wasn't having sex at that age. and they want to give the vaccine to girls as young as 11. i was still playing with barbie dolls when i was eleven. and barbie was just friends with ken, not his girlfriend.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 8:45 AM

closing barn door after horse is gone

I wasn't having sex at 16, and it was a source of great frustration! If I could have figured out how to communicate with guys at that age, I sure would have been.

The idea is to give the vaccine before there is ANY change the kids would have contracted the virus. Therefore, BEFORE they are interested in sex is ideal.

8:45 poster, it's not, "Oooo, 11-year-olds are having sex!" It's, "No use closing the barn door after the horse is gone."

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 9:46 AM

Fortunately, my daughter is 5, so I've got some lead time on this topic. My main concern would be that there is very little in the way of long-term data about the effects. Letting my child be the "guinea pig" to see what happens in a large-scale trial (which is what we're really talking about in Texas) isn't my idea of responsible parenting.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 11:31 AM

even if someone doesn't want their child to get the vaccine for religious reasons (i.e. they think it promotes sexuality without consequences), and they raise her to believe in waiting to have sex when older, how can they guarantee her sexual partner had the sames beliefs for his entire life? for example, the daughter is raised in a religion that waits until marriage to be sexually active. she marries someone of the same beliefs, but he did not convert to those beliefs until after he was sexually active with multiple partners. he can still give her HPV, and later cervical cancer, even though she lived by the principles her family taught her. and hopefully they taught her to be non-judgmental about people's past, so she shouldn't care about his behavior prior to converting to her religion.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 12:37 PM

you can be judgemental and teach your child to be non-judgemental at the same time.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 12:41 PM

EDIT: you CAN"T be judgemental and teach your child to be non-judgemental at the same time.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 12:41 PM

I don't see a problem in vaccinating young people against HPV. My concern is that the Gov of Texas signed this into law after the pharmaceutical co. that produced it contributed to his election campaign.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 1:52 PM

12:41 - how can teaching children to believe and live by a set of standards while not looking down others who live by different standards be judgmental? are you saying that living your own life by any set of principles automatically makes you judgmental of others?

Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 5:19 PM

you CAN"T be judgemental and teach your child to be non-judgemental at the same time.

Ooooh, not true! I'm sure we all know people who see their parents as a bad example and try to do exactly the opposite. Of course, then it's not necessarily intentional on the parents' part.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007, 10:34 AM

that's my point.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007, 10:39 AM

I am a married 26 yr old and I just found out I have HPV. I have only had three sexual partners and always thought I was practicing safe sex. HPV was never really such a big epidemic as it is now while I was in school. What I am trying to stress to all of you that have daughters or are debating on receiving this vaccine is that NO female is safe. I never have had signs of this disease...My paps always came back normal. Now my pap comes back abnormal and I had to go and get a coloscopy and am waiting on the results to see If my displacia is Mild to Severe. Unless you know what is going through my mind at this time as I wait for results you will never understand. I would not wish it on my worst enemy let alone have my daughter go through it. There is a vaccine out there and I recommend if you are under the age of 26 to get it. There are so many strains of this virus out there that even though I am married and have HPV I started my vaccine process. The reason is you never know. There are 4 deadly strains amongst others of this virus out there. I may not be able to protect myself against one but the other three I can. I believe what Texas is doing is right...There is no protection from this virus and If I have a daughter she will be vaccinated. The world is changing and young boys and girls are experimenting younger and younger these days. Since young men are passive carriers unless they have the strain that causes gw on the outer area of there bodies then this vaccine is our daughters only hope. 70% of Americans have this disease..Now think about the ones that don't even know they have it yet. Scary isn't it?

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 9:22 AM

I would fight this tooth and nail.

There is not enough data to support this vaccine in the population that is being innoculated. This is a travesty. Another point, HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. Innoculate the boys. I sold a medication called Aldara that treated Genital Warts which is the outward manisfestation of HPV. I say, don't let your daughters get the vaccine.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 12:48 PM

does anyone know why you can't get the vaccine after age 26 ? Answer

They could not find enough women over the age of 26 that were not sexually active. In order for this study to be valid they needed woman who were virgins to be in the study. A non-virgin has/had the potential to already have the disease. The thing about HPV is that it can lay dormant in a woman's body for years. Under immunocompromised situations it will rear it's ugly head as Genital Warts. Many woman have it but there immune system keeps it under wraps for years without symptoms. It is a very negative sexually transmitted disease because of it's ability to stay hidden.

A clinical trial was being taken at the UGA campus 9 years ago.

Monday, February 12, 2007, 3:28 PM

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 1:00 PM

A SHOT DOES NOT PROTECT YOU!!!

Why wouldn't you get your daughter vaccinated? While we'd all like to think and hope that our 14 or whatever age she is isn't having sex, aren't we and she better off getting it? I had cervical cancer back in 1992 and if I had known that a shot would have protected me I would have been all over that. I think its great that schools want the girls to be vaccinated. Come ladies don't you remember what you were doing at 14, 15 and 16?

A shot does not protect you. What a shot does is give you a FALSE sense of security. There is not a 100% guarantee with this shot. You' e just exposed to HPV. I was 14, 15, and 16, I did not engage in sexual intercourse so I was not at risk. At 54, I am still not at risk. I have never had a suspicious pap smear. Young ladies need to be informed about HPV, HSV and HIV and all the other STDs' that are out there. My question is having sex so young worth getting a lifelong disease. There is no cure for HPV.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 1:08 PM

Saturday, November 03, 2007, 9:22 AM

Having 3 sexual partners is not practicing safe sex. That is playing Russian Roulette with your life. I realize it is too late because you have HPV, but suggesting young children get a HPV vaccination because you have HPV is wrong. Young girls need to treasure their body and guard their private parts with their life. So much is at stake. I knew a young lady that had a hysterectomy at 14 years old because she had HPV. She can never have children because she had sex so young. Knowledge is power. Let's teach our young girls to WAIT.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 1:24 PM

OMFG 1:24. You are hilarious.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 7:28 PM

My husband and I discussed it with our pediatrician and decided to have our daughters vaccinated. Both my girls (13 and 15) have beed educated about sexually transmitted diseases including HPV and HIV. They have also been taught that waiting to have sex is healthier, both physically and emotionally.

I do not believe they have any false sense of security. Believe me, they are far more concerned about HIV and the possibility of unwanted pregnancy than they are about HPV. Any girl feels safe because of a shot has not been educated on what the vaccine is and what it is NOT. Education is the best solution.

That said, taking a preventive measure in the event that they do decide to have sex, or worse, are sexually assaulted, makes sense to me.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 9:12 PM

Saturday, November 03, 2007, 9:12 PM

The key to what you just wrote is that your daughters are "YOU" and "YOUR HUSBAND'S " children. If it is your desire to vaccinate your children with the HPV vaccination, so be it. Their life are in YOU and YOUR husband's hands.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 11:04 PM

To me this is two seperate questions.
1) Should the government be mandating this vaccine?
2) Is the vaccine something you want your daughter to have?

The government? NO WAY. There are a lot of people who don't want their kids vaccinated for other things too because of the possible risks of the vaccine. Since this cant be passed on by casual contact I wouldn't consider it a public health issue.

My daughter need it? I haven't decided yet, but from what I understand from my dr. even if my daughter waits until marriage to become sexually active, she can get the virus from her husband. HPV can be just on peoples skin but not cause any symptoms or let you know its there. Almost a usual inhabitant there. But when becoming sexually active it is introduced into the vagina it can become active and harmful. Thus the vaccine would benifit her after she's married. Did that make any sense?

And would people please quit attacking people who believe in celibacy? It is the only 100% sure way to prevent STD's pregnancy etc. And just because you know that is the best way to keep things doesn't mean you bury your head in the sand and keep your kids uninformed. No need for us to attack each other.

Saturday, November 3, 2007, 11:43 PM

I'm 21 and just got the second shot. I have never had sex or intend it any time soon. If I decide to get married, I want him to be a virgin. I mean I know that sounds silly, but the idea of getting HPV scares me plus all the other diseases out there. It's not about religion for me; it's about disease. I wish more people my age could wait-- or heck please yourself! lol. My friend is friends with some girls who think it's fine to have random sex just for fun. Pregnancy and HIV, which are what most people's ideas of consequences of having sex, don't even scare them apparently. They probably don't even think about HPV or realize it could happen to them.

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 12:19 AM

I'm not sure how getting a vaccine against cancer promotes teen sex. Kids with proper information aren't going to get that out of getting a vaccination, and ifor younger girls a simple explanation that 'this is a cancer vaccine" will suffice. You don't say, "Okay, now if you have sex, you are protected from HPV" no matter what their age.

I remember hearing a doctor explain that one benefit to making the vaccine mandatory (with the parental option to decline - just as with any vaccine) is that it would help ensure that economically disadvantaged females would have access to the shot. Given the option to decline, I'd support it for that reason.

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 12:41 AM

I work at a doctor's office and think the debate over the government mandating the vaccine is a stupid as the parents who like to be "au natural" and not vaccinate their children against the chicken pox.

As soon as a rule is placed, there are always going to be "babies" that don't want to do it because it's "mandated".

I'm 17 and not sexually active and am going to get that vaccine when I turn 18/19. I'm waiting for a little more research, although there's nothing to prove its unsafe.

But not wanting your children to get the vaccination just because you don't like the fact that it's mandated and "the goverment has no right to tell us what to do" is immature. The goverment is trying to PROTECT you. There's a reason they vaccine against things. Polio is vaccinated against and now it only exists in the US in two protected goverment laboratories where they hold it and test on it to try and help the countries that can't afford vacicnations and still have it as an epidemic. If there was a vaccine against AIDS, would you not get it just because it's something transmitted sexually? There are millions of ways to get it.

For every person who doesn't get vaccinated, that's one step farther we are from getting rid of diseases, much like polio.

Further, if my future child was to get a disease from someone prior to her own vaccination, just because that person CHOSE to not get vaccinated? I'd be relatively angry.

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 11:42 AM

oh an,

HPV is a VIRUS. it can be transmitted other ways than sexually. just so all you narrow minded people know who claim that their children aren't sexually active, so they couldn't possibly get the disease.

Sunday, November 4, 2007, 11:45 AM

12:19 here

Oh no...HPV is transmitted sexually. You don't actually have to have intercourse, but you can get it through genital to genital contact.

Monday, November 5, 2007, 2:16 AM

But, what if someone gets it in their mouth (in obvious ways) and then kisses a nonsexual 3rd party? Kissing isn't "sexually transmitting" anything.

Gross, but yeah.

Monday, November 5, 2007, 11:47 AM

Lemme get this straign. There's a vaccine that protects against many strains of HPV, lowering one's chances of getting cervical cancer and genital warts. Sure, it doesn't cover everything, but it protects enough to make a difference.

Why on earth wouldn't you take it?

And the agument not giving it to kids? Because it's new, sure. I'll give you that. But saying it promotes sex without consequenses? Are you out of your mind? Does getting a malaria vaccine before you go to Mexico promote foriegn travel without consequences? I know that as soon as I got my Hep. C vaccine, I was thinking, great, now I can have sex with pamela anderson without consequences!

When your kid gets the vaccine, it's not like you have to explain to her what it's for- she's 11! No one ever explained to me why I needed a polio vaccination, or any of the other numerous shots I got as a child- I didn't really need to know. I just enjoyed the lollypop i got for being my mommy's "brave soldier."

Monday, November 5, 2007, 12:27 PM

I lost my virginity when I was 20 yrs old...Not 14 or 15...I was in long relationships (2 yrs etc...)as well. I was always a very responsible person when it came too sexual activity...I ALWAYS used protection and I always asked the right questions before my sexual activity with my partners. I also got tested for STD's during my relationships. I was brought up with morals...Coming from an Italian family it is as I say built in you from birth pretty much,Lol. And now like I said in my earlier post I am married at 26. I can debate all day but I refuse to do that cause to me I know what I have to do for me. Yes I have HPV and If I can help people understand this disease then that is all that matters to me. So please don't say to me that I was not practicing safe or playing russian roulette. We need to wake up and understand that the 1950's is over and we are not marrying the one partner we are losing or virginity too. It is just not that way anymore..I believed that my first love was the one but it didn't work out that way. I waited 9 months before I made my choice. Now when I speak to my family I realize my mother,my mother In law, my aunts all got married at 19 or not too long after. Because that was what was the norm then. A good amount are not looking for marriage that young anymore. They want to go to college and experience life first. You can guide your children the best way you know how but when it comes down to it they are the ones that will make that final decision. We have to trust them. Just like the comment above me mentioned...We are vaccinated for various diseases...No one has a problem with that because they are not caused by sexually transmitted diseases. I understand that you feel it has not been tested enough..But do you really think the government would try make this vaccine mandatory because its dangerous? It is an Epidemic..Most carriers do not show signs believe it or not. Come on guys...Seriously. And we have to realize that alot of our children are losing there virginity or just messing around (Which is all it takes...Skin to skin) during high school and some I couldn't believe in middle school !

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:21 AM

I also want too add if you are waiting for marriage good for you...Thats great news! But unfortunately there are others out there that are not. The partner you marry may not be a virgin. The heart has no judgement when it comes to who you fall in love with. The motto I hold is "you never know". Education is the key...And boy do I wish that HPV was as stressed while I was in school as it is now.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:54 AM

I completely agree. I could have been with only one guy, but my fiance ended up being an ass, who cheated on me and gave me HPV. My current husband (#2) is fantastic, but I guess that to some out there I am immoral b/cI have been with more than 1 man. I disagree.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 9:16 AM

8:21 poster Well put. A very convincing argument. I still don't think the gov. should mandate it, but with a parental opt out option I'm okay with it.
I could be mistaken,someone please inform me. But I understand that two virgins having sex for the first time could "infect" the woman because the HPV virus is so prevelant on the skin in the general population.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 11:34 AM

Yes 11:34 poster your correct...It can come from skin to skin contact. So it doesn't have to be sexual intercourse. If the genital areas touch and the person who say has the strain that causes genital warts but has never had an outbreak still can pass it to the other person. Alot of people that are infected do not know they are infected. As I have researched this disease and spoken to gynecologists I see that this is the problem. The vaccine is the only protection at this time. This is why they want to mandate it for these young girls. It is a touchy subject since these girls are so young but down the road it can save them a lot of grief and their lives. Even if they wait till marriage to have sex they can be victims of it. This is a disease that is spreading so rapidly and I truly believe this is one test down the road Im sure alot of females do not want to have to face. Trust me I was very skeptical myself and thought it will never happen to me because I have always been careful. Luckily my results came back normal for my coloscopy so I do not have any precancerous or cancerous cells at this time. However it can change down the road..Its something I will forever have to keep an eye on. I understand it is our children and there are alot of pros and cons but we need to understand that this is the world we live in. You watch TV, listen to the radio and all that is exploited is sex. And yes we can try our best to steer our children towards abstinence but is there truly a guaranteed? I want to know that when my daughter makes a choice she will use her head but also that I did everything in my power to protect her. We cannot be with them 24 hrs and once they hit puberty there hormones are revvin and you'd be lucky to know anything.If I were to not have her receive this vaccine then what service would I be doing to her because she is not protected or to the person she is having any sort of sexual contact with? Think about it...These boys and girls are now learning about HPV...Yes they are learning the consequences just like when I was in school HIV was focused on more than any other std. But you know what...That didn't stop them from fooling around.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 2:36 PM

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! KEEP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IN TIP TOP SHAPE

http://health.rutgers.edu/hpv/

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the cause of both genital and non-genital warts. This is a very common family of viruses. There are actually more than 100 different strains of HPV. Of these, approximately 30 exist in the genital area and can cause genital warts (condyloma acuminata). These 30 strains can be further broken down to "high" and "low" risk strains.

High risk strains may cause changes in a Pap smear which may rarely progress to cancer. There are approximately 13 high-risk strains of HPV, of which two (16 & 18) are believed to cause about 70% of all cervical cancer.
Low risk strains sometimes cause changes in a Pap smear, but do not progress to cancer. Of the low-risk strains, two (6 &11) are most likely to cause genital warts.

This article discusses the genital strains of HPV.
•Transmission - HPV is spread by close genital contact, and is thus nearly always sexually transmitted. While there have been rare reports of infection from tanning beds, it is extremely unlikely that this virus would be transmitted through shared clothing, bed sheets, etc.
•Incubation Period - The time from infection until you have any signs (e.g. a wart or abnormal Pap smear) is both long and variable. It may be anywhere from a few weeks to more than 1 year. In addition, any changes that do occur may not be noticed for additional months or years. Thus, it is often extremely difficult or impossible to figure out who infected whom.
There is both some bad and a lot of good news about this infection.

The Bad News:

•HPV infection is extremely common.
- It is estimated that at any given time 20-40 million Americans are infected.
- Over a typical college career approximately 60% of sexually active women will become infected. While it is assumed that a similar number of men are also infected, there are no good statistics as it is harder to test for HPV in men than women.
•Cancer of the cervix is almost always caused by HPV infection (high risk strains).
•Since HPV is transmitted by close genital contact, condoms provide some, but imperfect, protection against infection.
•There is no test that can guarantee that anyone (particularly men) are not infected with HPV.
•HPV infection is particularly serious in those with an immune disorder (e.g. HIV/AIDS)
•HPV can be contracted by one person, cause absolutely no symptoms, and, months or years later, be transmitted to a new partner.

The Good News:

only "watchful waiting" as treatment.
•Early changes on the cervix which could lead to cancer are •The large majority of people cure themselves (usually without ever knowing that they had been infected). Average length of time from infection to cure is about 8 months. Most times, if low risk HPV is detected in a woman without symptoms, we would recommendnearly always discovered on Pap tests.
•Warts, if they develop, are usually treatable.
•The HPV virus is so common that it can almost be considered normal to have it.
•HPV, as well as other STIs, is no more common at Rutgers University than other similar institutions

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 12:02 PM

The Good News - Some left off by mistake. Please Read - It will help with you with your decision.

The Good News:

The large majority of people cure themselves (usually without ever knowing that they had been infected). Average length of time from infection to cure is about 8 months. Most times, if low risk HPV is detected in a woman without symptoms, we would recommend only "watchful waiting" as treatment.

Early changes on the cervix which could lead to cancer are nearly always discovered on Pap tests.

Warts, if they develop, are usually treatable.

The HPV virus is so common that it can almost be considered normal to have it.

HPV, as well as other STIs, is no more common at Rutgers University than other similar institutions

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 12:06 PM

Information on the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Re the cervical cancer vaccine (topic of discussion a few months ago)...

Dear Reader,
Your pediatrician is about to give your daughter a Gardasil vaccination – designed to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the causes of cervical cancer.

But before he does, he turns to you and says, "I should mention that thousands of CDC adverse event reports, which include paralysis and seizures, have been made in connection with this vaccine. Some of the girls receiving the vaccine required hospitalization. At least seven young women died suddenly shortly after receiving the vaccine, although in some cases the exact cause of death hasn't been determined.

"So…should we go ahead with it?"

Many parents would stop it right there, while others would have no qualms about going ahead with the shot.

But they might have second thoughts if their doctor kept up the conversation…

--------------------------------------------
Talkin' the talk
--------------------------------------------

"So…should we go ahead with it?"

At this point a parent might say, "Well, it's mandated by the state, so we have to."

(New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia require the vaccine for all girls entering the sixth grade. Similar legislation is pending in other states.)

Doctor: No, you can easily opt out. In this case "mandatory," isn't really mandatory.

Parent: Right, but the state wouldn't…well, let's say, "strongly encourage" the vaccine for all girls if it didn't prevent cervical cancer.

Doctor: Actually, the vaccine prevents HPV, which is just one of the causes of cervical cancer. The best way to decrease your daughter's risk of invasive cervical cancer is to teach her to be disciplined about getting regular gynecological exams.

(According to the American Cancer Society, when pap tests detect early cervical cancer, survival rate is more than 90 percent.)

Parent: So you're telling me that the state makes it SEEM like this expensive vaccine is mandatory, and yet getting vaccinated doesn't guarantee that my daughter will avoid cervical cancer?

Doctor: That's right.

Parent: And what are those adverse side effects again?

--------------------------------------------
Junkyard dog
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A recent report from Judicial Watch (a public interest group that promotes government accountability) leads off with this quote from Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton: "The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors. Any state or local government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports."

If those state and local governments follow Mr. Fitton's advice, they'll have quite a bit of reading to do.

Less than one year after the FDA approved Merck's Gardasil in June 2006, Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request and received more than 1,600 reports that were submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System regarding Gardasil. Three months later, Judicial Watch filed another request and found that nearly 200 new reports had been added to the list.

Some of the adverse events that show up frequently in the reports include:

* Dizziness
* Fainting
* Seizures
* Convulsions
* Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a central nervous system disorder in which weakness and tingling sensations in the legs spread to the upper body, sometimes causing paralysis)

Parent: Okay, those are troubling side effects. But given the thousands of young women who have received the vaccine, the chances of experiencing those events are very small. So isn't the vaccine worth the risk?

And here's what the doctor is not likely to admit: According to a Journal of the American Medical Association study, less than two percent of all women develop the two types of HPV that are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers. And American Cancer Society guidelines state that 90 percent of adolescent HPV infections are resolved without treatment – the same is true for about 75 percent of HPV infections in adults.

I hope you'll share this e-Alert with your friends and family who are parents of young daughters. Let them know that the Gardasil vaccine is potentially dangerous, but guaranteed to do only one thing: Make billions of dollars for Merck.

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 3:11 PM

Thanks for the info 3:11 - I discouraged my daughter from getting the vaccine, instead we talked about how to build a strong immune system and safe sex. I hadn't heard this was going to be 'mandatory', that is wrong on so many levels. Time to write my state reps again!

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 11:36 PM

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